


Shattered Like Crystal

by orphan_account



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: AruAni, Babies, F/M, Fantasy AU, Journey, Kinda sleeping beauty kind of ice queen, Some angst, Titans, armin and annie, armin gets a little cut up?, armin is a lil prince, armored titan - Freeform, bertl is bad at riddles, but oh well, cut, enjoy yo, er - Freeform, fairy tale, idk - Freeform, idk if it's a trigger warning but, idk man, it isn't too intense, kill me, kind of a spin off on sleeping beauty, lil bit o' fluff, not really violence but like, snow queen or whatever, sorry idk i just know some ppl who hate that, the fairy tales and the stories, they aren't that related, trigger warning, ya feel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-24
Updated: 2015-08-27
Packaged: 2018-04-16 23:11:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4643544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"The sky wasn't the same without her. They had often gazed at it together when they went on long walks or just laid in the grass together. When she was taken it had dulled down to him, but tonight it dazzled like crystals the way it used to. He knew that he would see her soon."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Stars

She had been gone for so long. She'd gone so cold, he could not recognize her. Her cruelty had stung him, blinded him. Her parting words that day had deterred him from chasing after her. And then, she vanished. He collected the pieces of his heart she had scattered, it took awhile but eventually he built himself back up. He went out to search for her. It took awhile but he then heard the tales and rumors.

She'd been crystalized, she'd been taken over by an overwhelming spirit. Some say a witch. Some a wizard. She had gone with it but once she was with it in it's castle she came to her senses and the cloudiness that hung around her fell apart. She pleaded with it until it made a deal with her. If she gave it her soul, it would return her to her love. She agreed almost immediately but the being was not true to it's word. It took her soul and left her body encased in crystal to preserve it.

Sadly for the demon, he broke some godly and universal rule, and was obliterated. This froze time in the castle. The crystal grew a large wall around the castle, leaving her body trapped inside. The only way to get through was to defeat the guards left by the being outside of the wall. Apparently it was quite the task.

Armin heard the story from an old woman asking for spare change outside of his home. It had been four years since he last saw Annie. Four years of her being trapped in a crystal, and four years of him crying himself to sleep because he missed her and she had hurt him so much. He needed to find her, he needed to help her. He went inside and sat by his window to contemplate the situation. The woman said the castle was on the base of the northern mountain.

He looked through the window at the soft petals raining from the cherry tree outside of his window. He knew he was smart enough to get there, he had all the maps and was good at analyzing situations. He needed to best the guards though, and that would be quite a task. He was not strong.

"But I am determined. And I am in love." He whispered to himself. That decided it. He pulled back his hair and dressed in sturdy traveling clothes. He ate a lunch and packed some food. He left that day, saddling up his horse and setting off for the northern mountain. It wasn't a long journey. All these years and she had been just around the corner.

He stopped during the evening to eat a small dinner and get some rest. He stared up at the stars as he slept. The sky wasn't the same without her. They had often gazed at it together when they went on long walks or just laid in the grass together. When she was taken it had dulled down to him, but tonight it dazzled like crystals the way it used to. He knew that he would see her soon. He drifted off to sleep and dreamt that the stars were accessories he could hang just for her.


	2. Guards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "They seemed friendly enough but they had to be hiding something. They laughed and made conversation. they seemed strong, if Armin had a sword he could handle them but in a fist fight they'd have the upper hand. Armin took a deep breath and reminded himself of his goal. All he needed was to think of Annie and to clear his head. He could never loose then. He stepped forward and they looked up. He rolled up his sleeves."

He could hear the guards as he approached through the woods on his horse. He could see the crystal walls towering above the trees.  
"Bertl!" He heard a deep panicked voice. "Don't step there you'll kill that little mouse! Be more careful man..."  
"Sorry Reiner! I wasn't looking."  
Armin rode out of the woods into a clearing. He saw two tall men, one blond and one with dark brown hair. The blond one was escorting a tiny mouse to a hole by a tree.  
"H-hello?" He asked. He wondered if these were the supposedly terrifying guards. They turned and waved.  
"Hey there!" The blond one said. "Planning on getting through?" He pointed to the wall.  
"Well, yes." Armin was confused at the cheerful greeting.  
"Good on ya kid! I'm Reiner and this is Bertl. We're the guardians of the castle. What's your name?"  
"Armin."  
"Nice to meet you Armin. We'll just be waiting by the entrance over here, tell us when you're ready and we'll get this show on the road, alright?" He turned and sat down by the wall. Armin couldn't see and entrance but had assumed it would be hidden. He tied his horse to a tree and pulled a carrot out of his jacket to give to him. While the horse was munching away Armin observed the two guards.

They seemed friendly enough but they had to be hiding something. They laughed and made conversation. they seemed strong, if Armin had a sword he could handle them but in a fist fight they'd have the upper hand. Armin took a deep breath and reminded himself of his goal. All he needed was to think of Annie and to clear his head. He could never loose then. He stepped forward and they looked up. He rolled up his sleeves.

"Ready?" Reiner eyed him with a smirk.  
"Yep." Armin said nervously.  
"Hm. Let me just explain the rules." Reiner stood up and proceeded to take his clothes off. Armin blushed and tried to hide his shock.  
"We'll each present you with a challenge. Mine is more physical, Bertl's is...uh, mental. All you need to do is surrender and we will stop. Otherwise it is to the death and even if you surrender I can't promise you won't be hurt. You can use a weapon with mine if needed. But warning, if you beat me and kill Bertl you won't be able to get through. Understand?"  
Armin nodded. "I agree to the terms."  
Reiner smirked. Fully naked now. Bertl calmly folded his clothes by the entrance. "Try not to step on me this time." He muttered.  
"No promises." Reiner bit his hand.'

Armin wasn't quite sure what happened next. There was a bit of an explosion and he was thrown against a tree. He lost his breath. Smoke surrounded him and he coughed, trying to regain his senses. His horse whinnied and broke free, the tree he had been tied to had been knocked to the ground. Everything was dark. Armin realized he was sitting in a large shadow and looked up.

Reiner had transformed into a giant man. A titan, one could say. He was coated in thick gold armor and steam came from his face. He roared a giant roar. Armin then realized why so many people had such a hard time with the guards. He saw Reiner raise a giant foot, he knew he needed to move.

Armin ran through the woods, he bolted in between the trees and each tree he passed was crushed by Reiner's giant hands. Reiner was toying with him. He wasn't even jogging. Armin tried to circle back to the wall. He ran through a thicket and was lost to Reiner's vision. He then took the opportunity to climb a tree that grew against the crystal wall.

He jumped from the tree and clung to the cold bumps of crystal. Reiner glanced at the wall and immediately spotted him. He started jogging. Armin didn't have enough strength to pull himself up. He grimaced and prepared himself. His plan was to jump onto Reiner's face and kick him in the eyes. Reiner approached him and reached out to grab him. Armin jumped.

His foot, sadly, slipped on the smooth crystal and he fell headfirst into Reiner's hand. He felt himself moving upward and was sure that he was about to die. But then, strangely, all Reiner did was throw him. He soared over the wall, whizzed past the sides of the mountain and landed, miraculously, in a lake nestled between the mountain cliffsides.

His body slapped against the water and he felt his right shoulder crack. He was plunged into the freezing mountain water. With one arm he sturggled until he reached the surface. He slowly paddled to shore. He heard giant pounding footsteps. Reiner was coming. But in the shallow water of the lake, once he could sit and think, Armin knew something was odd about this.

Why didn't Reiner just kill him then? Was he just playing with him? Surely he had his fun in the wood, it must be exhausting in that giant body. He should've killed him then. It was the only logical option that made sense and if Reiner didn't see that then he must be a bit of an idiot. He could've crushed him like a mouse.

The cold water must have woken something in Armin. As Reiner got closer he remembered something. Armin got to his feet and stood up. Instead of running and hiding, he was willing to make a bet. He closed his eyes and stood perfectly still. Cradling his injured shoulder with one arm.

Reiner grabbed him and held him close to his face. He snorted and hot hair blew over Armin. Reiner slowly began tightening his grip. Armin winced and bit his lower lip. He felt his right shoulder break cleanly and couldn't breathe very well. He looked into the titan's eye and smirked. He shut his lips tight. The titan loosened his grip and sighed. He cupped Armin in his hand and ran back to the crystal wall. He gently set Armin next to Bertl. After another startling explosion he was back to his human form.

"You're the only one who's ever beat me. I surrender." He gathered up his clothes and began to put them on. Berlt gasped.  
"You beat Reiner?! How?"  
Armin smiled. "I remembered when I arrived today I heard him begging you not to kill a mouse. I think the guilt would be too much for him. Reiner hates killing."  
A wide eyed Bertl stared at Reiner. "Thanks you shithead! Now what am I supposed to do?"  
Armin was confused. "What do you mean?"  
Bertl pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. "Everyone else who tried surrendered either after Reiner transformed or after they were thrown or injured. I've never had to do anything! I have nothing prepared!"  
Reiner snorted. "I'm too tired to deal with this Bertl. It's your job now not mine. So what if he gets in? Boss is dead and we've been at this boring post for almost five years." He draped his jacket over his face and attempted to nap.

Bertl was obviously having a very intense internal struggle over this. Armin knew he should probably step in.  
"How about you just tell me a riddle?" He suggested.  
Berlt looked up. "Well... I suppose. Yes that would work." He perked up and sat across from Armin. "You have all the time in the world to answer. But you cannot relieve yourself, eat or sleep until you answer or surrender." Armin was nervous, those rules made him think that it would be a very hard riddle.  
"I agree."

Bertl sat up and closed his eyes. He thought for a moment then leaned in. "What." He stated, "is a device that allows one to see through walls?"

Armin almost laughed out loud. He had heard many riddles in his life, this was one of them. It was one of Annie's favorites actually, that's how he knew it. The answer was simple.  
"A window."

Bertl slapped himself in the face and slumped over. "I've failed the boss." He murmured. After a moment he collected himself.

"You've passed our tests. I'll bring you over the wall but first I should explain somethings." Armin nodded for him to continue. "Inside the walls the land is frozen in time. If you make contact with any of those objects, even the path itself, it will stay frozen and cut through you like a blade or a thorn. There will be a path made of crystal that leads to Annie. Parts of it may have broken when the boss died, but you must not stray from the path. It will protect you. The path, the air. If you touch anything else, even something as delicate as a dewdrop, you will be cut and most likely killed. Do you understand?"  
"Yes." Armin replied. "I'm ready."


	3. Flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "She wasn't facing him, she was made entirely out of crystal. She stood in a field of tulips, foxglove and poinsettia. He hand was out as if she was giving something to someone. Armin almost leaped forward but he saw that the path had been shattered. It simply ended."

It shouldn't have surprised Armin what happened next, but he still couldn't help but gasp a little as Bertl bit his hand and an explosion threw Armin backwards. Right before he was about to smash into a tree he thumped against something. It was a giant hand. Armin's eyes widened. The giant, titan, Bertl form was huge! Much bigger than Reiner's, Reiner seemed like a toddler to Bertl.

And Bertl looked different, he had no armor...just flesh. Armin tried to be polite and not scream out so instead he covered his mouth with the back of his hand and tried to remain calm. He knew, that Bertl could definitely kill him in a single movement. He gulped and tried not to think of it. He steadied himself on Bertl's massive thumb and peered over the edge of his hand into the gardens that lay beyond the wall.

Bertl lowered his hand to the ground and Armin gently hopped onto the crystal path. Bertl pointed at the path as it continued through the castle. Armin understood.

"Follow the path, got it." He waved and Bertl pulled his hand back over, there was an explosion and he was gone. Armin turned around. He couldn't hear anything. The wall was thick and tall and blocked out any noise. If Reiner screamed then he wouldn't have known. Armin was amazed at the scene around him. He assumed that a gust of wind had blown in when everything froze, flowers in the gardens bent ever so slightly to the left. A fountain on the left side of the path had been spraying water and a few droplets hovered over the path just in front of him.

He wouldn't really describe the structure in front of him as a castle. It was confusing and twisted, two tall towers that grew almost as tall as the wall and curved into each other, it was made of a dark black substance and the windows were mirrored. They were connected with a solid hallway in between them that led to a domed courtyard. An arched mosaic decorated doorway led to inside of the dome.

The path was a shiny blue crystal, like the rest of the wall. It led straight through the doorway into the domed courtyard. Armin stepped carefully forward, any wrong steps and he'd slip over the smooth crystal into the shiny blades of grass. He never thought he'd fear plants before. He moved carefully and swiftly, he wasn't paying much attention though because when he passed through the doorway a water droplet from the fountain sliced through his cheek. He winced and grabbed at his cheek, pulling it away from the water droplet slowly and carefully.

When he entered the dome he was surprised that the path still led straight. The dome was filled with stone statues. Armin was horrified to see they all looked like Annie. Annie undressing, Annie crying, Annie shielding her face with her hands. Annie kneeling. Annie sighing. Some were her morphed with an animal, a frog with her eyes. A bird with her nose. There were Armin walked right past the one with her kneeling and he sat down to inspect it.

A single tear dripped from her eyes, they looked puffy as if she had been crying for awhile. The statue was so detailed he could see goosebumps on her arms and patches of light on her right shoulder. He saw another tear forming in her eye. It was so real. He tentatively reached his hand to brush the stone tear from her cheek. The stone scraped through his hand right as he softly pressed one finger to it. He winced and drew back. He stood up. 

The path moved out of the huge dome, it took awhile for him to get there though. It some places the path was spotty, just a stone of crystal in one place, the edges chipped in others. At one point he jumped from a stone and slipped, almost falling onto his bottom. Luckily he caught himself just in time. At the end of the dome was a sliding door. The handle was coated in crystal and he slid it away. Light fell to his eyes, it hurt him. Could the light be frozen too?

He adjusted his vision and then he saw her. She wasn't facing him, she was made entirely out of crystal. She stood in a field of tulips, foxglove and poinsettia. He hand was out as if she was giving something to someone. Armin almost leaped forward but he saw that the path had been shattered. It simply ended.. He was stranded. There were a few little bits stuck to stones but not all the way. The biggest obstacle was a cherry tree right next to her. Cherry blossoms had been flung by the wind and a flurry of them hung in the air right beside her. He would have to go through it. He took a deep breath and leaped onto a stone.

He almost fell. Thankfully he didn't, but it boosted his morale and he leaped again. Oops. The next stone's crystal was loose, he could've seen it upon closer inspection but he had turned frantic and idiotic after seeing Annie. His right leg slid onto the ground as his left foot scraped against the stone, he ended in a strange half split. The tip of a tulip sliced a long cut up his leg and beads of blood began to show against his pants. The blades of grass dug into the bottom of his foot. He cried out and pulled his leg out, the grass came out of his leg and he managed to fit both of his feet on the tiny shattered crystal. He was shaking, crouching on the rock.

He stood up too quickly and a sparrow he hadn't seen earlier was right in his face. He slipped on the crystal and the bird's wind shot through his forehead and blood poured down his face into his eyes. He wiped it away, he was so close! There was one more patch of crystal nestled in a patch of foxglove he tripped over to it without injury. It was right before the cherry tree. Blood dripped in his eyes. He was at an angle where he could see Annie's face now. She looked thoughtful and sad, she was looking at her feet.

"Annie." He called. Suddenly the crystal began to melt away, slowly dripping off of her. Everything was still frozen though. The crystal melted beneath Armin's feet and he cried out. "No!" He fell straight into the frozen cherry blossoms. They ripped through him like bullets. Out of the corner of his eye he saw that the crystal covering Annie was almost gone. He shut his eyes. The petals ripped through his arm, his leg, his chest. The ones that didn't burn holes through him sliced away at his skin.

Everything went dark.

\---

He felt warmth. He turned and pressed his head towards where it came from. It was soft and cool. He felt arms wrap around him and warm tears drip onto his face. His backside felt sticky and warm. Soft petals drifted onto his chest. He sighed deeply and coughed.

"Armin?"

He opened his eyes, they felt too heavy to open all the way. He tried reaching his hand up to rub them but a screaming pain made him jerk and wince.

"Don't move, you're really badly hurt." Annie?

His eyes fluttered open. He saw Annie, crying, looking down at him.

"Stop crying." He said, he was curled up in Annie's arms, his head pressed into her belly. They sat in a field of soft flowers, sticky with blood. Clouds moved against the now gray sky and he heard the flapping of sparrow wings.

"Ah! We were worried you wouldn't wake up." Reiner called, coming into Armin's vision.

"What happened?" Armin croaked.

"You woke me up." Annie said quietly, brushing Armin's bangs out of his eyes.

"We saw the wall melting and came over as quickly as we could." Bertl joined in, walking over. "We found you with her and we patched you up as best we could. We didn't think you'd make it! It's been two or three hours." He chuckled nervously.

Armin looked at his body, he was wrapped in hastily made bandages he could see were torn from the clothes Reiner and Bertl wore.

He struggled into a sitting position on Annie lap and wrapped his arms around her, pressing his face into her neck and breathing in her scent. She hesitated and hugged back, very gently. She drew back and kissed him softly.

"Uh, we're gonna go... yell if you need us." Bertl grabbed Reiner and they jogged into the dome.

"I missed you-"

"I'm sorry that I left-"

They started at the same time. Armin laughed.

Annie then picked Armin up swiftly. "Agh!" He cried, clinging to her.

"Tell me if I hurt you at all." She carried him through the dome and back into the gardens. Armin was shocked to see that all the statues of Annie disappeared, even though they weren't made of crystal. They got to the gardens where Reiner stood in titan Bertl's arms.

"We'll give you a lift home. Or as far as we can go without this dope stepping on anyone." He chucked, pointing his thumb at Bertl, who i n turn flicked him off his hand. Reiner caught himself and chuckled nervously.

Annie looked at Armin and he felt all his fears shatter and blow away into the wind.

"Let's go home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God sorry the end was so cheesy!!! So this was my first aruani fic, thoughts? Sorry there wasn't as much fluff as you probably wanted! I want to write one in a modern setting but I don't have any ideas so those would be appreciated!


End file.
